Page 30 of The Cornish Cream Tea Holiday
‘Probably.’ Finn shrugged.
‘And I’ve got a day off,’ Meredith said.
‘What are you up to?’ Finn asked Thea, as she sat at her own table. ‘Do you have any grand holiday activities you can steal Ben away on?’
‘It wasn’t actually like that,’ Thea said. ‘He tookmealong the coast, when my first walk didn’t go so well. He showed me that incredible bit of cliffs with all the seabirds.’
Meredith and Finn both turned to Ben, who seemed fixated on the frayed hem of his shorts.
‘And today I’m going into Padstow,’ Thea went on. ‘I want to look at the bookshop there.’ It was part of her plan while she was here, to visit other independent bookshops in Cornish towns, to get inspiration for her own. She didn’t want to admit what had happened yesterday, to tell these people – Ben especially – that Jamie Scable had been able to affect her so deeply.
‘You only brought one book with you?’ Finn asked.
‘What? No!’ Thea couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Are you crazy?’ Finn’s eyes widened, but she could see he was amused. ‘Sorry, I—’
Ben cleared his throat, and she shot him a look which he returned unwaveringly.
‘What Imeantwas,’ Thea continued, ‘I have two paperbacks and my Kindle. I have approximately five hundred books I can choose from after I finish this one.’ She waggled her Elly Griffiths hardback.
‘Fivehundred?’ Meredith said. ‘Wow.’
‘Then why on earth do you want to go to a bookshop?’ Finn asked.
‘I’m doing some research,’ Thea said. ‘For a project I’ve got on the go.’
‘Thea works in the library in Bristol,’ Ben explained to his friends. Then, to her, he said, ‘Is this project something for work, then?’
‘Sort of.’ After yesterday, Thea felt as if there was a dent in her dream, a rupture that she would have to fix before she was back to full confidence. Visiting another bookshop in an idyllic seaside location, seeing what was possible forher, would help. ‘So it’s a fun visit, but it’s work, too.’
‘Do you want some company?’ Meredith asked. ‘I was going to take Crumble for a long, fortifying walk, but it’s hotter than I anticipated, so a shorter walk around Padstow would be ideal.’
‘You’d really like to come?’ Thea asked.
‘Only if you want me to. I don’t want to muscle in on your holiday.’
‘No, that would be great.’
‘Excellent.’ Meredith stood. ‘I’m going to buy you a rhubarb and custard pastie.’
‘Awhat?’
‘You’re in for a treat,’ Finn said, standing and grinning. ‘I’d best get back to my masterpiece.’
Ben stood too, though he managed to turn the simple act into the most world-weary thing Thea had ever seen. ‘And I’d better get back to the shit-show that is my house.’
‘You know,’ Finn said as he closed his deckchair, then the one Meredith had been sitting on, ‘if you didn’t wantto do it yourself, you could hire another builder to come and get it sorted for you.’
Ben took the deckchairs from his friend, hooking them over his shoulder as if they were shopping bags. ‘Thanks, Finnegan, but I can manage. I’ve got some good ideas for the kitchen now, anyway. A breakfast bar looking out over the view.’ As he said it, his gaze slid to Thea, and she gave him a small, encouraging smile.
‘That sounds perfect,’ she said. ‘And I meant to say earlier, you left your ramekins at mine after breakfast the other day. If you wanted to come and get them, have another look around, then you’d be very welcome. Maybe when I get back?’
His mouth remained fixed, but warmth kindled in his eyes. ‘That would be great. I’d forgotten about the ramekins.’
Thea noticed Finn glancing between them, wearing a puzzled expression. ‘Is this some kind of code?’ he asked. ‘Are you communicating in another language?’
‘Nope,’ Thea said. ‘We’re talking ramekins, that’s all.’
Even as Finn kissed Meredith goodbye, and gave Thea a quick peck on the cheek, she could see his mind was still working. He clearly didn’t like having unanswered questions, but Thea loved that she and Ben could already understand each other in this way. She was actually making friends on her solo holiday, and that was something she had never imagined would happen.
